Navigation lock construction



Aug. 1, 1937. 'l c M. HACKETT 2,089,205

NAVIGATION LOCK CONSTRUCTION Filed NOV. 16, 1935 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Trash Chuie 2 7 Trash Ra0k 28 Axis of Dam? Crane Tracks 7 29 6 Q g Fig.1 r

2\7 6 8 17\' 1/4 Q i I| i i I0 11 1- g 7 i' Z4. I D

26 4 2a 15 \x I29 I Fig.2

Aug. 10, 1937. c, M H K 2,089,205 I NAVIGATION LOOK CONSTRUCTION Filed Nov. 16. 1935 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Charles M h'ack'eti 1N VEN TOR ATTORNEY Aug. 10, 1937.

C. M. HACKETT NAVIGATION LOCK CONSTRUCTION Filed Nov. 16, 1935 5 She etS-Sheet 3 Charles M Haskeii ZNVEW T OR Patented Aug. 10, 1937 j PATENT, OFFICE NAvmATIoN ocK coNsTRUcTmN Charles M; Hackett, Nashville, Tenn. Application November is, 193.5, Seria1.No. 5 0, 162,

7 Claims:

(Granted under the .act of March 3, 1883. as amended April 30,1928; 370 0.;VG. 757) and'includ'es hiechanical and hydraulic principles hereinafter described'in the specifications;'

In the accompanying drawings like characters indicate like parts in the several views that illustratethe invention.

Referring to' the ,drawingsi lis a plan view showing general arrangewater and air passages arranged for a singlelock'. v p g. 2 is a verticalsection taken on'line 22' of iell i 20 "Fig.3 is a plan'view similar to Fig. l, but illusjtrating a more compact'arrangement o'f dissipat ingd'eviceand its accessories." 'fFig. is'la" verticalsectional view illustrating thefapplicationf'of dissipating principle to the 25 removal of eriergy from water falling from greater height than would be required'inthe'filling 'ofa highiift navigation lock. Figffi s' a' horizontal section taken on line-*l-l "The water'supply and"dischargefacilities for naVigatiQnflOcksiShoWn by-drawings may be ar-' ranged either right'or left; also the dissipating devicemayfbe usedjto advantage in a" Wide range of heads and many combinations; It is also pos sibleybyjagdding concentric'bafiiing wells and sectior'zs-fof wells aroundfiissipating device'with the requir'ednumber; size, and' locationof ports and passages through their separating wallsyto arrange a seri'esof '1 drops or falls that will'be 'Bfi eQ tive in *dissipating' the' energy of "water falling from-any-hei'ght; as clearly-shown-in Figs. 4 and o'fthedrawlngs.

total'port discharge capacity from tube l5 -fto'--'well l 3"is-materially*greater'than' that of intake valves il and is'arranged and proportioned to effectively and safely distribute stress in structure at all stages in the filling of a lock chamber. If level 'of'upperpool is held within prescribed limits, the volume of flow-into dissipator does" not 5 exceed a predetermined maximum, due to a fioat 7 'actuatedf;stop which limits valve opening in accordance-fiwlth level of water in pool. The

allowedrangeimpool levels shown by accompany-in'g =iirawings is 10 feet. "This control of 5 fiow produees balanced functioning in operation rnent' of water 'intake'and fdischarge control: valves; stop gates, and dissipating device with its of dissipator during the time when lock filling is proceeding at a uniformly maximum rate. 'This periodwill begin with full open valve 9 and last till backwaterfroin lock chamber begins to cause flooding in chamber H at top of dissipator. From this point on the customary slowing down of filling rate will occur. "At developments Where the upper pool level does not fluctuate more than 3 feet; automatic regulations of inflow are not provided.

In the'construction for effecting discharge of the water from *t he lo'ck chamber, valves 24 are provided; and these are similar to the valves used for fillirigpurposes. 'Infact the-valve and gate arrangement in" the discharge conduits are similar in construction and operation to those employed for filling-thelock chambers. The filling and discharge valves l! and M respectively and their coact'ing gates are of conventional design and form'no' part'o'f the present invention except insofar" as they providea suitable valve control for filling and emptying the lock chamber.

The discharge valves 24 are grouped with the filling valves 9 and-trash racks '28, making it possible-to reacha-ny part of valves or accessories with a singlesm all whirler type gantry or'stifi leg derrick, thus facilitating rapid repairs, replacement, and inspection.

"That's'ection of discharge passage 25 in which valve z l is-installedis materially larger than the outer end-26to=reduce water velocity through valve. I V V To avoid undue enlargement of masonry structure which would -;result in waterfalling several hundred feet if discharge from' wells-should all be 'arrange'd' outward, groups of wells may be superimposed 'and-the' lateral movementof Water reversed in alternate groups. With this arrangementthereversing.well would be a .stilling well. a

Wells only thestoppne.

The; energy dissipatingfievice; hereinafter rewouldbe-iused inthe groups below 1 ferre'd to as dissipatgr, dovered by this descrip-v .t-ion, .consists;of aiwell. l;3=formed in masonry having water passagesla-and 2 5:leading from its bas n passa es foritheescape iair lileadi .fromits .top. ."Ihebottpm ofthis wellto .be at an elevation that .insuresa .suflicient depth of water to provide a stilling.pool..propor-tionat,e to the maximum head 10f:theirwateritiallinginto it.

Insidevthe well is .constructedia metallic or reinforced concrete tube or invertedtruncated cone I5Ihaving;its.outside surface atanangle orverticaLand equidistant from the walls .of

well l3 and at a distance that provides sufficient space to allow free movement of water in all required directions and without causing an ap preciable retarding of flow when lock chamber is being emptied.

The inside surface of the tube is stepped or sloped from a smaller size at the bottom to a larger size at the top.

The lower end of the tube rests on the bottom of well and its side walls are pierced by openings or ports, the number, shape, size, and arrangement of which are in accordance with'the requirements of the project in which the dissipator is incorporated.

The upper end of dissipator consists of a supplemental chamber ll having an opening in its bottom of the same shape and dimensions as that of the upper end of the tube 15 on which it rests. The wall at one side of the chamber is pierced by an opening Ill for the inflow of water. This opening I0 is divided by one or more partitions l6 so shaped as to create a vorter in flow of water at top of tube. The partition walls l6 also act as supports for roof of inlet opening ID and have slots at the end nearest control valve 9 for the holding of stop gates 8. An opening I! for admission of air in ceiling of inlet chamber if desirable may be equipped with mechanically operated shutters and bailles for controlling air supply and blocking spray,

The hydraulic conditions of each project will affect dimensions and mechanical features but the basic principles in design and operation of the dissipator remain constant and can be adapted to any high lift lock.

Water is admitted to chamber II at the top of dissipator through valve 9 of a type that insures not only smooth increase and decrease in volume of flow between open and closed position but that will operate with equal smoothness in forward or reverse from any position between full open and closed.

The water falling from supplemental chamber 1 I into tube l5 of dissipator entrains air which serves to break up its mass and reduce impact in the stilling pool. With full open intake valves 9 and low water in look, the considerablehead developed in tube I5 forces the air charged water through the lower groups of ports in itswall into the surrounding well 13 where its impact against wall of well l3 breaks the force of jets and releases most of the entrained air which escapes through the vents M at top ofwell l3. The remainder of the entrained air is collected in that section of water passage I9 lying between dissipator well l3, and lock feeder tunnels 20 and is conveyed to the open air through chamber 2|, air header 22, and discharged ducts 23 as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and wish to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a navigation lock construction, the combination with a lock having a lock-filling chamber, the latter being vented to atmosphere at its upper end and connected 'at its lower end with the lock; of means for introducing water into the chamber adjacent its upper end, means situated central of and co-extensive in length with the depth of the chamber for directing water from the point of introduction to the bottom of the chamber in the form of a column, and meansin connection with the last mentioned means and coacting with the surrounding wall of the chamber for entraining air :inthe falling water to dissipate its energy and for effecting passage of the water from said centrally located means simultaneously with the release of the greater portion of the entrained air.

2. In a navigation lock construction, the combination with a canal lock and a lock-filling chamber, the latter having its upper end vented to atmosphere and its lower endincommunication with valve-controlled, lock-filling and emptying conduits; of means for introducing Water into the chamber adjacent its upper end, meanssituated central of the chamber and coextensive in length with its depth for directing water from the point of entry to the bottom of the chamber in the form of a descending column of water, inwardly tapered from its upper to its lower end and means in connection with the last mentioned means and coacting with the sur-- rounding wall of the chamber for entraining: air in the descending water to dissipate its energy and to effect passage of the water from said centrally situated means to" the chamber simultaneously with the release of the greater portion of the entrained air. I

3. In a navigation lock construction, the combination with a canal lock and a lock-filling chamber located adjacent the lock, the chamber having its upper end vented to atmosphere and. its lower end in communication with valve-cone trolled, lock-filling and emptying conduits; of a valve-controlled means for introducing water into the chamber at its upper end, means situated central of the chamber and co-extensive in length with its depth for directing the water from the point of entry to the bottom of the chamber in the form of a rotating column of water inwardly tapered from its upper to its lower end and means in connection with the last mentioned means and co-acting with the surround ing wall of the chamber to entrain air in the des cending water to dissipate its energy and to discharge the water from the centrally located means to the chamber simultaneously with the release of the greater portion of the entrained air.

4. In a navigation lock construction, thcombination with a canal lock and a lock-filling chamber adjacent the lock, the chamber having its upper end vented to atmosphere and its lower end in communication with valve-controlled filling and emptying conduits; of a valve-controlled means for introducing water into the chamber at its upper end, means situated central of the chamber and co-extensive in length with its depth for directing the water from the point of introduction to the bottom of the chamber in the form of a rotating column of water tapered inwardly from its upper to its lower end, means in connection with the last mentioned means and co-acting with the surrounding wall of the chamher to entrain air in the descendingwater and to efiect discharge of the water from said centrally located means to the chamberIs'imultaneously with the release of the greater portion of the entrained air, and additional means located between the filling chamber and the canal lock to release the remaining portion of the entrained air.

5. In a navigation lock construction, the combination with lock passage and a lock-filling chamber, the latter having its upper end vented to atmosphere and its lower end in communication with valve-controlled. lock-filling and emptying conduits; of a supplemental chamber situated immediately above the upper end of the filling chamber, valve-controlled means for ad,- mitting water to the supplemental chamber,

means communicating with the supplemental chamber and extending centrally through the filling chamber to its bottom for discharging the water in the supplemental chamber through the filling chamber in the form of a column inwardly tapered from its upper to its lower end, means in connection with the last mentioned means and co-acting with the surrounding wall of the chamber for entraining air in the descending water to dissipate its energy and to effect discharge of the water from said centrally located means to the chamber simultaneously With the release of the greater portion of the entrained air and additional means located between the filling chamber and the lock to release the remaining portion of the entrained air.

6. In a navigation lock construction, the combination with a canal lock and a lock-filling chamber, the latter having its upper end vented to atmosphere and its lower end in communication with valve-controlled lock-filling and emptying conduits; of a supplemental chamber located centrally of and immediately above the upper' end of the filling chamber, valve-controlled means for admitting water into the chamber; means in connection with said valve-controlled means to impart a whirling movement to the water as it enters the supplemental chamber, a cylindrical member communicating at its upper end with the bottom of the supplemental chamber and its lower end resting on the bottom of the filling chamber, means in connection with the cylindrical member and co-acting with the surrounding wall of the filling chamber'to entrain air in the water descending the cylindrical member and to effect discharge of the water from said member simultaneously with the release of the greater portion of the entrained air.

7. In a navigation lock construction, the combination with a canal lock and a lock-filling chamberythe latter having its upper end vented to atmosphere and its lower end in communication with valve-controlled lock-filling and emptying conduits; of a supplemental chamber located centrally of and immediately above the upper end of the filling chamber, valve-controlled means for admitting water into the supplemental chamber, means in connection with said valvecontrolled means to impart a whirling movement to the water as it enters the supplemental chamher, a cylindrical member communicating at its upper end with the bottom of supplemental chamber and having its lower end resting on the bottom of the filling chamber, means in connection with the cylindrical member and coacting with the surrounding wall of the filling chamber to entrain air in the water descending in the cylindrical member and to efiect discharge of the water from said member simultaneously with the release of the greater portion of the entrained air, and additional means located between the filling chamber and the lock to release the remaining portion of the entrained air.

CHARLES M. HACKE'IT. 

